UNcheesing Family Photos

Spring is springing all over the place! Hoooooray! On Sunday we went blossom hunting at Sheffield Park, one of our go-to National Trust places to enjoy the gifts of nature.

The daffodils did not disappoint. There were SO.MANY.FLOWERS all over the place and we got so excited for all beauty about to explode around us in the next couple of months. This is just the beginning.

While we were there I was doing a little playing with some of my photo techniques. Since it was late morning, the sun was quite high and made for a lot of contrast. I decided my goal was going to be to fully expose my images for the highlights only and not worry if most of the image was in shadow or dark.

As I focused on making some interesting shapes with light, my goal was to create a FEELING of childhood on the first day of the year when a heavy jacket wasn’t necessary. When the freedom of being able to run around was just starting as we inch toward summer. I’ve talked before about how much I love Hazel’s hair and to me when she runs through the sun and it catches the light and movement in certain ways. THAT is childhood joy.

We made our way to a giant patch of daffodils where we set her free to run around (without stomping them, of course). She ran back and forth and up and down for about 30 minutes while we sat soaking up her playfulness and the sunshine. While we were there dozens of families charged into the field of flowers to plunk their kids down perfectly, make them look at the camera and say cheeeeeeeese. I had to laugh at the juxtaposition of the end result. And it was all I could do to not tell everyone I saw that there IS A BETTER WAY!

It got me thinking about what photos mean to me and why. I want to bathe in the carefree nature of childhood with Hazel. I want HER to look at the photos I make of her doing things or at certain stages in her life and not only see how she looks but she how she feels. Standing stiffly in the middle of a flower field just doesn’t cut the mustard.

How do you want to remember your kids childhood? Or better yet, how do you want THEM to remember their childhood?

I’ve created an UNcheesy ebook to taking better photos with your phone. Get your free copy here to learn basics so you can start making pictures with more meaning.